


Ophelia to Juliet

by MarnaNightingale



Category: Hamlet - Shakespeare, Romeo And Juliet - Shakespeare, SHAKESPEARE William - Works
Genre: Epistolary, shakespeare fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-04
Updated: 2014-08-04
Packaged: 2018-02-11 19:02:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2079540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarnaNightingale/pseuds/MarnaNightingale





	Ophelia to Juliet

"For I have done those things which I ought not to have done,  
and I have left undone those things I ought to have done, and  
there is no health in me".

I am meant to be writing Katherina/Antony for the [Shakespeare Pairing List That Ate Academia](http://www.livejournal.com/users/roz_mcclure/545826.html).

So what I am doing writing this instead, I know not. But here it is.

**If Her Mind Be Writ**  
Dramatis Personae: Ophelia, Juliet.  
Non Explicit Sexuality  
Epistolary, Verse.  
Archive: [The Scriptorium](http://scriptorium.infotrope.net/), if [](http://damned-colonial.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://damned-colonial.livejournal.com/)**damned_colonial** so pleases; others please ask.  
Beta: The clever, patient and kind [](http://angevin2.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://angevin2.livejournal.com/)**angevin2**

[Respecfully dedicated to Christopher Fry, December 18 1907 -- June 30 2005, who along with TS Eliot brought the tradition of poetic drama back to life in the 20th Century.](http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,1520502,00.html)

 

Dear Juliet, what news is this! He sounds  
Quite charming, and impassioned, too -- to brave  
such hazard for a kiss! That's love and no  
More than you deserve, my dear -- your parents  
Will come around, I trust, although they storm  
And say you are green and blind; they love you.

He sounds most fine and your letter made me smile  
I had not smiled in twice two months, ere that  
Not such a smile as this -- We're in a state  
and no denying -- all in disarray  
And Hamlet worst -- beshrew the man, one day  
all rakish prince, the next more maid than I.

This bodes some strange eruption to our state  
He says -- indeed, eruption is the very  
Matter -- be wary yourself, I know you'll  
Not take it amiss nor misunderstand  
If I tell you it's but a jig from his  
To yours and then all hell's unbrac'd, my dear!

You find him fair, and bold and true, your love  
But what waxes, wanes -- I was loved, too, in  
all honour -- I do think it, Juliet --  
Daisies for my hair he brought me and books --  
I loved the books the best. We used to talk  
For hours -- A queen, he said, should be wise.

Perhaps he meant it, even -- but of late  
All his words are edged about with such wit  
As I should blush to make you understand --  
As he should blush, to teach a maid such things  
And scold her for her knowing; there's an edge  
To the joke, and it lies against my heart.

Enough of that -- it wants yet seven days  
To the fullness of the moon and as it  
Wanes, so yet may I -- my dear, I had meant  
This letter to be filled-up with joy  
At your great news -- and so I do rejoice,  
And shall, when you are Lady Montague,  
and happier yet -- you say he is kind.

Kind, as well as handsome, as well as brave;  
I loved a prince and all his lordly ways  
I thought them fine, but now he lords it  
Over me; dear friend, if your love be of  
a gentler kind, trust him kindly; marry  
When you may and be happy in his love.

Spare me kind prayers, I pray thee; all may yet  
be well. If my love can alter any thing,  
These alterations yet may prove no more  
Than bitter winter; chill and cruel enough,  
Hard to bear -- but bearing from barren fields  
Such flowering as shall answer for this frost.

 

Marna Nightingale, 2005.

 

[](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ca/)  
This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Canada License](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ca/).

 


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